Election Glossary

Proxy Vote

Proxy voting means having someone else cast your vote for you. The 'someone else' is referred to as the ‘proxy’, and acts as an ‘agent’ for the person whose vote is to be cast, the latter of whom is the ‘principal’.

Proxy voting can be used in the UK parliamentary elections, however voters are only eligible for proxy voting under specific circumstances. Examples include being overseas on election day and having a disability or medical issue which prevents you from turning up at the polling place to vote.

Other forms of proxy vote

In some other votes, such as voting at shareholder meetings, proxies can be either ‘general’ or ‘limited’. A general proxy is empowered to vote freely on any matter which arises at the meeting, whereas a limited proxy is only allowed to vote on certain matters which arise, or must vote in a particular way as determined by the principal voter.